School Reopening: Summary of Recommendations
Since the start of the pandemic our volunteer Medical Task Force has been developing a plan for school reopening that will focus on maintaining an environment of safety and well-being for teaching and learning. Now, administrators are implementing their recommendations for school re-entry with in-class instruction as the primary goal.
We’re grateful to have such a talented group of health professionals, working with the Head of School and the Chair of the Lakecrest Board, to contribute to the Medical Task Force. We thank them for sharing their leadership and expertise with the Lakecrest community!
Meet our Medical Task Force Experts
Dr. Angela Ridi (Chair)
Dr. Ridi is Anesthetist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Memorial University. She graduated from Dalhousie Medical School and completed post-graduate specialization training at Memorial and the University of Ottawa, after which she began working as an anesthesiologist in St. John’s. Dr. Ridi is an executive member of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Atlantic Division and sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society and the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation. She is also an ad-hoc reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia and plays an active role in resident mentorship and faculty development with the Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Iram Anees
Dr. Anees is an Internist and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Memorial University. She trained in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Transplant Nephrology in New York, USA. Dr. Anees has coauthored a medical book and is a regular speaker at provincial and national medical conferences. She was awarded the prestigious National Kidney Foundation research award and received the highest level teaching award in Department of Medicine at Memorial as a Platinum ACE level teacher with a grant.
Presently, Dr. Anees serves on numerous Medical committees including: the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, General Internal Medicine Fellowship training programs, and the clinical teaching unit at the Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Zaina Albalawi
Dr. Albalawi is an Endocrinologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Memorial University. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Alberta, along with a masters degree in Clinical Epidemiology. She co-authored a Clinical Practice Guideline chapter for the 2018 Diabetes Canada Guideline. She’s currently a member of the Atlantic Collaborative Working group on diabetic foot prevention to develop policy and healthcare recommendations to reduce amputations in the region.
Zaina has two children at Lakecrest, and has been a board member since 2018.
Summary of Recommendations for School Reopening
The summary of the school reopening recommendations is presented in question and answer format to address many of the top questions that parents, teachers, students, and all our stakeholders are asking as we get closer to back-to-school this September. Before going further it is important for us to note that these recommendations have been made using the best science and guidance available from leading medical and public health sources of information, and always adhering to provincial public health and education guidelines. That being said, as we move to implement these recommendations we will constantly re-evaluate and re-analyse information as it becomes available.
Parent_Summary_Medical_Task_ForceNext Steps
With these school reopening recommendations in hand we are now in the implementation phase. Our Re-Entry Task Force is responsible for making sure that the recommendations are rolled out and Lakecrest is ready for a return to in-class instruction this fall. It’s important to note that we have a contingency plan to activate our robust remote learning platform should we need to have a hybrid instructional model or if there is a flare up of COVID-19 in our community.
Lakecrest keeps the health and safety of our students and staff top of mind as we strive to make in-class instruction the primary focus for September. Please contact our Head of School, Mr. Patrick Boekhoud, if you would like to ask more questions about our re-entry plan or if you would like to see the comprehensive recommendations on which the summary document was based. His email is pboekhoud@lakecrest.ca.
